


Better Late Than Never

by Sumi



Category: Natsume Yuujinchou | Natsume's Book of Friends
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-24
Updated: 2016-03-24
Packaged: 2018-05-28 16:42:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6337021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sumi/pseuds/Sumi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Reiko’s reputation proceeded her among youkai.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Better Late Than Never

**Author's Note:**

  * For [uumuu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/uumuu/gifts).



Reiko’s reputation proceeded her among youkai. She was a force to be reckoned with but such a reputation also brought unwanted attention. Normally this wasn’t something that worried Reiko because she was always prepared for a fight. The only reason why this time was different is due to the fact that said youkai had quite amount of power.

“Natsume Reiko, I was looking for you!”

“Hinoe,” Reiko regarded cooly despite her ragged breathing, bleeding wounds, and depleting power. Her tone revealed none of these things but if anyone could see past the facade it would be Hinoe.

Naturally this was only a bitter admission to herself. Reiko would never admit it out loud.

“We’ll discuss this in a moment. First we need to deal with this one here.” Hinoe sighed. “He is being quite an annoyance.”

Reiko said nothing before unleashing another wave of energy at the youkai. Her legs trembled and knees buckled. That was all it took for Hinoe to unleash a powerful attack at the other youkai who already took quite the beating from Reiko.

The youkai might be powerful but Reiko could deal in a few powerful blows.

It was over almost as soon as Hinoe stepped in. Hinoe then rushed over to Reiko. She tried to help Reiko to her feet but Reiko shrugged her off.

“Reiko there is no need to be so stubborn. It’s only us here and I promise Madara is nowhere in sight.”

Reiko managed a smirk. “He would find my sorry state very amusing.”

“Well he is that sort of youkai.”

“Most are.”

Hinoe smiled. “Now Reiko now all of us are bad.”

“I beg to differ.”

“I will disregard that.” When Hinoe began to help tend to some of her wounds, Reiko put up a little resistance.

“He did quite a number on you.”

Reiko shrugged. “He sought me out. I suppose I should’ve been more prepared.”

“It would’ve helped if you were more prepared,” Hinoe responded.

The wounds Reiko accumulated were nothing serious. It took Hinoe less than twenty minutes to patch them up and when she was done, Reiko didn’t look any worse than she usually did after a fight with a youkai. She still looked worse for wear but that was something common in Reiko’s appearance. It almost always looked a little ragged-- whether she wanted it too or not.

“I assume a thank you is in order, Hinoe.”

“A usual expectation after performing the feat of saving someone’s life.”

Reiko scoffed. “You didn’t do that much, Hinoe.”

“I beg to differ, Reiko.”

A scowl appeared on Reiko’s face. She cared little for Hinoe’s insistence that she needed help but when Hinoe was right, she was right. It spurred Reiko to tightly grasp the youkai’s kimono and pull her down for a rough kiss. There was nothing gentle about it, really. 

The kisses they shared were always like that. Rough and demanding; mostly on Reiko’s part. Hinoe would attempt to make the kiss gentle but Reiko wouldn’t have that. She didn’t know gentleness and wouldn’t accept any of it-- even if it came from Hinoe.

A chuckle escaped Hinoe. “And to think I thought our day was completely ruined.”

“What did you have planned exactly?”

“Lunch, of course. I even brought a basket filled with some of your human food.” Hinoe produced a basket seemingly out of nowhere. Being a youkai made that sort of thing possible.

Reiko glanced into the basket. “Along with a bottle of sake.”

“I bet that damned Madara put that in there.” Hinoe scowled, taking a puff of tobacco from her pipe. “He’s always getting involved in other’s business. It would be better if he focused on his own life. Have you noticed Madara’s put on a little weight?”

Smiling wasn’t something Reiko did very often but Hinoe’s comment drew a smile from her. The smile wouldn’t be noticeable to most. Hinoe noticed it instantly (as she did whenever Reiko did something subtle).

The youkai could read her well. Reiko found herself disturbed by the thought because of what youkai meant to her and the loneliness they caused her over the years. By seeing them, Reiko couldn’t connect with other people. They thought her too weird, different. 

Being around others (even youkai) made it difficult for Reiko to know how to react. Hinoe never seemed to mind. Probably because Hinoe did happen to be youkai.

Reiko nibbled at the food, her appetite starting to return. She never was a big eater but after such a battle it only seemed right to eat some food. It would certainly help replenish her power on the off chance another youkai attacked soon. Hinoe would be more than happy to help but Reiko didn’t think her pride would be able to take another offer of help so soon.

“I’m surprised your being so accepting of all this,” Hinoe mused. “When was the last time we did something like this?”

“The answer would be never.”

“Most likely is.”

Reiko shifted towards Hinoe, ignoring the pain that flared through her because of the wounds she acquired from the earlier fight. “If you’ve notice I don’t quite know how to do… this.”

“As you are the first human woman whose piqued my interest in a long time I can admit to the same.”

Their lips met in another kiss. Still rough and demanding but not as much as the one they shared earlier. When it broke, Reiko turned back to her food and started eating again while Hinoe resumed smoking her pipe.

A silence filled the air but it wasn’t a silence Reiko minded. In fact, it was quite the opposite. The silence was comfortable. Reiko always found solace in it-- sometimes not by choice but such was the consequences of being alone. You had to enjoy the quiet otherwise you’d go mad.

Eventually the quiet broke and it was Hinoe who did so.

“We should do this again, yes?”

She nodded. They should while Reiko was still here on this earth, which she imagined wouldn’t be for much longer.


End file.
